A request for DragonBat362!
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On that day, the sun shone done with a harshness Rose had not felt in a long time. Moisture filled the air, casting mirages all around the horizon. The wind could have brought a breath of cold relief, but the wind did not blow that day.
Greg ventured one step outside the cool Temple, then spun right around and re-entered. "Nope. Come on, Rose! It's too muggy out there."
Rose stuck her arm out of the Temple's shadow, feeling the midsummer sun on her arm. "It's not so bad!" But Greg had already gone inside, unwilling to endure the harshness of the summer day. Undaunted, Rose headed outside, feeling the sun beating down her arms and hair. Greg peered after her from the Temple's insulated stone walls. "Aw…come on, Rose! It's way too hot to be outside!" Rose continued away from the Temple, arms outstretched.
And so, Greg and Rose set out on the beach on that sweltering summer day. Greg kicked at the sand a little, yelping when the burning sands got wedged in between his toes. "I'm glad I'm wearing sandals! This stuff's really hot!"
Rose stayed away from the water, heading away from the Temple, following the cliff line. As the duo proceeded, Rose inspected the rocks lining the cliff foot carefully. She petted them, and poked them, and gazed soulfully at them. She pointed out to Greg the different ages of the rock, and the size and type of the crystals in the rock. Lifting a smaller rock, the two snuck a peek at the assorted grubs and crawlies hiding underneath. Rose replaced the rock, content to sneak a peek and leave the grubs in peace.
Rose and Greg headed into a grove of trees. Some thoughtful person had hacked a tunnel through the dense grove. As Rose entered, she gasped. "What is it?" asked Greg.
"It's a lot cooler in here!" She took a step out of the shade, then back into, then out, then back in, comparing the two temperatures.
"Well, yeah," said Greg. "The trees block the heat." He shrugged. "I guess."
"That's so nice of them," said Rose with a smile, rubbing the trunk of one of the trees. Rose took Greg's hand, and used her other hand to feel the tree trunks as they passed by. The path curved around many trees, climbed over rocks, and descended down steep inclines. Rose helped Greg down one particularly nastily steep stretch of path, heavily embedded with rocks.
At the end of the path, lay another patch of beach, dotted with families. "Ooh," said Rose. "Look at all the people!"
Greg joined Rose and gazed around. "These people are insane," declared Greg. Slathered in thick coats of sunblock, some families frolicked in the waters, others built sand sculptures that the water knocked over, and yet others ate massive watermelons in the shade of rocks. Most of the beachgoers had retreated under their umbrellas for a siesta.
Greg lifted the sweaty hair off his neck, and peeled the sweat soaked sleeves away from his armpits. Rose pranced (Greg did not think any human could jump that far or quickly) up to a nearby rock shelf. Underneath, the temperature dropped rapidly as Rose withdrew further into the rock. Waving her hand, Rose attracted Greg's attention. He was only too glad to be out of the sun. Crouched in the shade, Rose draped an arm around Greg and brought him close to her.
The two stayed curled up in the shade for a while. As he cooled down, Greg made a pillow of his arms, fanned his hair out to the side and nestled his head in them. A little ways away, a couple and their baby lay asleep under a white umbrella, festooned with winter scenes and gifts. The baby, clothed in pastels, awoke, and climbed out of the baby seat. The baby quietly crawled away, into the sun.
Greg's nap was fitful and not restful at all. He soon gave up, and watched the beach goers with Rose. Just as Greg began to wish they had brought something to eat (like pretzels or chips) Rose pointed out at the beachgoers. Greg followed her finger, to see a woman in bathing suit decorated with snowmen, wandering around the edge of the camp, peering out over everyone else. Greg snorted out a laugh. Rose laughed. "She must be wishing for cooler temperatures." Greg agreed. "Maybe she thinks if she wears cool clothing, she'll be less hot."
"Maybe so," Rose chuckled. The reindeer and snowman-clad woman stepped slowly through the maze of families under umbrellas, peeking under each and every one. A fleck of motion in the opposite direction caught Greg's eye. A man in Santa bathing shorts walked slowly and deliberately along the tree line, peering within. "Hey Rose," Greg said, nudging Rose with his elbow, "Look at that guy, over there! They're two of a kind."
"They must be together," agreed Rose, kicking her feet in the air, slightly brushing against the rock shelf's underside. "Both of them are very festive."
"I can hear the sleigh bells ringing." Greg said.
Together, they watched as the man linger around the same place near the tree line, gazing into the darkness. Greg couldn't help but notice the sun catching in his red-brown hair, almost as if copper wires blossomed from his scalp. "I bet he lays the oil thick," muttered Greg. Rose laughed softly.
A new arrival caught them off-guard-a sunburned baby, clothed in pastels. The baby silently crawled closer and closer to them, taking shelter right underneath the two. The baby stopped right under Rose's chin, laying awfully still by her knees. Greg picked up the baby, and the two straightened up as much as they could under the rock shelf.
"This baby is really quiet," remarked Greg, jostling the baby just a little. It stared at him, still quiet. "And really, really red," added Rose. "Is that normal?"
"I-I don't think so!" said Greg, a note of panic entering his voice.
"Let's give the baby something to drink!" suggested Rose, jerking her hand backward, right into the rock wall.
"That's a great idea! Except I don't have any water on me." said Greg.
"Well, let's go get some!" Rose took the baby, and the two crept out from the rock shelf, back to the tree tunnel. As they walked down the tunnel, Rose gazed at the baby. The baby gazed back at her, mouth slightly open. On a whim, Rose squinted her eyes and pursed her lips together, wrinkling her nose. The baby did not respond to Rose's funny face.
"Watch out, Rose!" Greg yelled as Rose walked into a tree, scratching her face a little. Luckily, the baby was not hurt.
As they neared the end of the shady tunnel, and walked back into the sunlight, the baby's eyes opened dramatically. Rose quickly called over Greg just as the baby began to cry, wailing without a stop. Rose quickly turned her back to the sun, casting a shadow over the baby. The baby continued to cry. Greg hooked his arm under Rose's elbow. "Let's get some water, quickly!"
"Right!" The two dashed off for the Temple. Once inside, Rose set the baby on Greg's lap, and collected some water from a stream inside the Temple. She hurried back, and tried to get the baby to drink some. The baby sipped a little, but refused the rest and continued to cry, wriggling on Greg's lap.
"Maybe the baby's hurt," suggested Greg. The baby's skin was still an angry red. Greg gently brushed his finger against the baby's red arm. It cried even harder, making Greg yank his finger away.
"So the baby's hurt, then?" said Rose, pressing her hand against her mouth.
"Yeah I guess so," said Greg nervously, glancing between his finger and the baby.
"That's good," said Rose. "I can heal this baby." She smiled very widely at Greg, who smiled back.
"Heh," Greg bounced the baby a bit on his lap, producing an ear-splitting wail. Greg quickly stopped the bounce, rocking the baby a little as an apology. The baby cried even louder. Rose laughed. "Stop moving the baby, Greg!"
"Sorry!" yelled Greg. "I thought babies liked to be rocked."
"Not when they're hurting, Greg." Rose extended her arms for the baby, which Greg sheepishly gave. Rose cradled the baby in her arms, and craned her neck over it, casting her face in shadow. Greg watched the baby intently.
Rose stared at the baby for a little while. Greg stared at the baby and Rose, eyes flicking back and forth between the two. After a minute, tears emerged from the lower corner of Rose's eyes, nearer to the nose. The flow of tears increased then subsided, coating the baby in slightly glowing pink fluid.
The tears soaked the baby's clothes, soothing the baby's skin. The skin absorbed the tears readily, and soon the baby stopped crying. The redness of the skin faded and the clothes dried as the tears did their work and evaporated, leaving healthy olive-colored skin. Rose tilted her head back, then grinned at Greg. "All done!"
"Yes!" shouted Greg. Not a moment after, the baby began to cry again. Rose laughed as Greg apologized over and over. Once the baby had quieted down, Rose pulled a funny face. This time, the baby giggled.
Greg and Rose set out once again to the beach. Much as Rose would have liked to keep the baby, she knew this baby had parents who were probably worried about where their child had gone. The thought reminded Rose of something.
As they entered the leafy tunnel, Rose said, "Greg?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember those two oddly clothed people at the beach?"
Greg snorted. "How could I forget those terrible clothing choices?"
"Do you think this baby is theirs?"
Greg turned porridge gray. "That…would make a lot of sense. Come on, Rose! Let's hurry!" Greg picked up his pace, only to slip on a smooth rock jutting from the ground, and fall down an incline. As Greg slipped and fell, tree branches framing the side of the tunnel lashed out, catching Greg.
Rose slowly descended to Greg's level. She planted her heel in the soil, and set her other foot down upon a rough rock for stability. At her direction, the trees slowly began to unravel, letting Greg go. He collapsed roughly onto a rock near Rose, all scratched up. Small bits of wood and rock had embedded themselves in the shallow cuts. A few dark lines showed up beneath Greg's skin-splinters. Rose secured the baby to her side with one hand, and gently inspected Greg's face with the other.
"Heheh…those trees weren't as soft as they looked." He grunted and winced as Rose cried a few tears in her hand, then slathered them all over his face. As his skin healed, the splinters, dirt and wood bits emerged from just under his skin, as if he had never gotten hurt in the first place.
Greg got to his feet, and gave Rose a quick one-armed hug before continuing down the path to the beach. This time, Greg walked at a quick pace, but not too fast. At the beach, the two beachgoers who were dressed out-of-season no longer wandered around. The woman sat on the sand, head down, and the man was hurriedly talking to some other beachgoers, gesturing frantically in the air.
Rose lost no time in bounding over to the red-faced, reindeer-clothed woman, sitting in the sand. Greg, meanwhile, ran over to the red-haired man. "Excuse me," said Rose, casting a long dark shadow over the sitting woman.
"Yes?" she looked up to find Rose extending the baby before her. "Is this your-" The woman screamed almost as loud as the baby had cried and seized the baby from Rose. Greg brought the man over, who was just as glad to see their daughter. Together the three of them cried loudly.
The man and the woman introduced themselves as Derrick and Mel. Their daughter was named Robin. All three had a busy day of playing at the beach, so they decided to take a nap together. Robin, however, had risen before her parents, and decided to go wandering off. The baby had skillfully avoided her parents for so long, she got sunburned.
Rose waved a finger at the baby, who grabbed it and giggled. Greg watched as Rose and the couple happily chatted, mostly about the baby. How old was she? Could she talk? Did she like plants? What about watermelons, did she like them? Could the baby swim? Did Derrick know Greg might be jealous of his long red hair? The questions went on, until Greg decided to usher Rose away. "You'd make a great mother!" yelled Mel as the couple went home.
"Thank you!" Rose yelled back. "We should go visit them someday," Rose added to Greg, waving at them one last time.
"Yep," said Greg, turning around and power walking back to the Temple. "Come on, Rose! Air conditioning awaits! I can change this shirt, and probably take a shower in my own sweat. It's way too hot to be doing anything else."
Rose followed Greg, power walking at his side. When they were almost at the Temple, Rose grabbed Greg by the shoulder. "I had the greatest flash of inspiration right now!"
"Really?" said Greg, flicking drops of sweat off his brow. "What's that?"
"Greg," said Rose, in a very serious manner, "We should have a baby of our own."
Greg stared at Rose, face a sunburned red, and spluttered, "Whaaaat? Rose-"
Rose laughed loudly, covering her face with a hand.
Greg huffed out a little breath. "So you were just joking, then?!"
Shaking her head, Rose said, "No! I'm serious!" Greg turned even redder.
Groaning, Greg pretended to ignore Rose's baby-related jokes and teasing as the two returned to the Temple on the beach.